


Cosmic Grace

by InHisFrozenArms (Fenfade)



Series: Rooted Promises [2]
Category: Mortal Kombat (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Begging, Choking, Crack Treated Seriously, F/M, Femdom, Game 9: Mortal Kombat (2011), Light Dom/sub, One Shot Collection, Oral Sex, Power Play, Rough Sex, Some Characters Are A Bit OOC, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:01:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 13,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26456083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fenfade/pseuds/InHisFrozenArms
Summary: “What do you mean?” he asked her, his voice low and husky. Kuai Liang wanted to grab the princess by the face and kiss her already.Aya bit her lip and looked down, scooting the chair closer to where their knees touched. The bed behind them suddenly started to look more appealing. “Am I still a lot for you to handle?”Looking at the princess who was very clearly trying to get him to take her to bed, the Cryomancer smiled at her. Blue eyes somewhat gleamed as he said in that same husky voice, “That depends on if you can handle the cold.”~~~~~A collection of smutty one-shots and drabbles, this one centers on Kuai Liang and Aya as they explore their developing relationship during the turbulent events of MK9. Most of these can be read individually, and though not all are smutty and aren't all in chronological order, they all take place about three years after Hopes & Fears. Specific kinks and any relevant content warnings will be listed in the notes for each one-shot, just to play it safe!Update as of 11/28/20: I haven't forgotten about this fic and I do apologize for keeping you waiting. Life obligations have been a priority, but I hope to have an update for you guys soon. :)
Relationships: Implied Skarlet/Kuai Liang, Kuai Liang | Sub-Zero/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Rooted Promises [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1922920
Kudos: 10





	1. Power of Three

**Author's Note:**

> Remember how I said I'd come up with the idea for a series of smutty drabbles and one-shots featuring Aya and Kuai? Well, this is it! I thought of this idea while listening to one of my favorite lofi playlists earlier. Funny how the naughty thoughts came out when my s/o and I were doing laundry. :P
> 
> While this isn't my first attempt at writing smut, it is my first time publishing anything sexual in years. These won't all have smut in them, though, because naturally I'm perhaps a bit self-conscious. Most of my smutty scenes remain hidden in a journal that only I have access to, and this is the first one I've written in years that I'm not embarrassed about. I should also probably mention that Kuai Liang is 21 in this specific one-shot. Of course, I know he's older in regular canon during the events of MK9, but it made sense to me to age him down a bit for the purpose of the timeline I have planned for this series. To eliminate any confusion, I'll be sure to mention any relevant ages in later chapters.
> 
> Without further ado, I hope you enjoy! :)

The long day of fighting matches against Edenians, Saurians, Tarkatans, and other humanoid assassins and warriors on Shang Tsung’s Island had already ended.

Kuai Liang and Tomas had arrived earlier that week to fight in the brutal Mortal Kombat tournament. Both men had won their respective matches and were lucky to have progressed to the next round. They had the rest of the evening to themselves, and Shang Tsung had ordered the Earthrealm warriors to use the day after for rest.

“We finally have word on Bi-Han,” Tomas announced sometime during their quiet walk along the bloody waterfront. Kuai Liang’s older brother was the primary reason they were sent here and their job was to retrieve him.

“Is he okay, at least?” asked the younger Cryomancer. Worried, he listened intently as Tomas relayed the details. He was not expecting to hear about Hanzo Hasashi sparing his older brother during an earlier match. At the tournament, Hanzo had not cared enough to fight him.

“He’s fine,” replied Tomas. “I guess Hanzo just didn’t want to kill him over a petty misunderstanding.”

Kuai Liang sighed in relief.“About time the Scorpion puts the stinger away,” he said. “Ever since Grandmaster Hóngrè Pìgu sent my brother to thwart that man’s mission, the Shirai Ryu haven’t stopped sending us threats.”

It was true. Both men having been played by the evil sorcerer Quan Chi, Hanzo and Bi-Han had been rivals for years. It was about time the Shirai Ryu Grandmaster had let go of his anger toward the Lin Kuei Elite. The drama between both clans over the mission gone wrong apparently wasn’t worth it to the older man. Even the Lin Kuei Grandmaster himself had grown weary of the petty feud.

“He’s in the barracks back on the Island,” Tomas told him. “Oh, and I think Lord Raiden and a few of his chosen are there, too.”

Kuai Liang stopped in his tracks, the mention of the thunder god bringing to mind the memory of a woman from years ago. This woman was the one who’d captivated his soul for the very first time.

 _Aya_.

Tomas noticed Kuai Liang’s glassy expression. He slapped at his best friend’s arm with a scowl. “Hey, this isn’t the time or place for sentimentality,” he said.

The Cryomancer did not reply. Tomas’ silver eyes followed Kuai Liang’s sullen gaze as they continued up the shoreline. Eventually they decided to split up. Bi-Han was alive and well, so there was no need for them to continue their search.

That had all been hours ago, however.

Kuai Liang had chosen to stay at the bloody shores to meditate. He sat there for about an hour, trying to center his thoughts but he found that he could not. Soon he was thinking of Aya and how the years had eluded them. He even found himself wondering if she might still be alive.

The Cryomancer sighed, closing his eyes and dropping his hands in the sand. The waves crashed behind him. “It’s been too long. She’s probably moved on to someone else…”

Kuai Liang missed her and wished he had never lost touch with the princess. He regretted not coming back for Aya after establishing the Heart-Thaw Accords no more than three years ago. Life and duty kept him busy in Earthrealm, and he’d only returned to Outworld for the sake of finding his brother, anyway.

* * *

It was evening on the Island when Kuai Liang had returned to the barracks. He’d already checked up on Bi-Han. The two siblings spent about an hour or so discussing the nature of his fight with the Shirai Ryu warrior, both of them grateful that the other had lived to see another day. After Bi-Han slinked off with one of the barmaids who'd captured his attention, Kuai Liang went and had a few drinks with Tomas. Though he wasn't one to socialize to this degree, even with the three years of civilian freedom under his belt, it was odd to him how few of the other Earthrealm warriors felt comfortable around the Lin Kuei.

Eventually, the Cryomancer got tired of socializing, bidding his fellow kombatants a good night. He shut the door to his room in the barracks, sitting on the crate in front of his bed with a sigh. He stretched his upper body as he removed his mask, swiftly tugging at the balaclava he wore beneath it. Without a word, the Lin Kuei assassin tossed both items onto the wooden desk to his right. The mask landed with a _clink_ on the chair under it while the balaclava fell to the floor. 

_Whatever, I can pick that up later._

After his armor and weapons had been removed and carefully stored away, Kuai Liang grabbed his knapsack and pulled out a journal and pen. An anxious man beneath the disciplined veneer, the twenty-one year old Cryomancer liked to document his thoughts as a form of decompression before bed. As he finished outlining his final thoughts in the journal entry, Kuai Liang suddenly heard a loud rattle. It seemed to come from the front of the room, perhaps to the left of the window. The Cryomancer then caught a glimpse of a shadow and dropped his pen on the desk, rising to a defensive stance.

Kuai Liang reached for his kunai and approached the door, shifting so that whomever was outside couldn’t see his shadow. That was when he heard a feminine voice muttering about the cold and clearing her throat. Before she could raise her hand to knock, Kuai Liang withdrew his blade and stood still.

The woman at the door knocked twice. He was nervous when he realized who it was, though an even larger part of him was grateful for the moment that allowed him to take several deep breaths and put his blade away. It didn’t appear that he would need it, at least not if it was Aya. It wasn’t like he couldn’t use another form of weaponry should she prove to be dangerous, anyhow.

“I thought you’d be here,” the woman said when Kuai Liang finally opened the door. She looked at him, barely hidden anger in those kaleidoscopic orbs.

Though he had not been expecting her to appear at his temporary doorstep, the Cryomancer was not surprised that Aya had managed to track him down first. He just… He didn’t know what he was expecting, honestly. He was just happy to see her. It was like his thoughts magically summoned her into being.

“It’s good to see you, Aya,” Kuai Liang said to her, holding the door wider to let the lunar mage in. She followed him into the small room and pulled out chair from beneath the desk. He closed the door and sat back on his crate. The galaxy-haired Edenian huffed and folded her arms over her bust. She knew he was being honest, but the amount of time that had passed since their last meeting angered her.

She had wanted to see him sooner.

“Damn right it is,” snapped the princess. “I’m just glad you’re alive. Took me _two_ whole years just to find out you weren't dead on a hill somewhere.”

Kuai Liang raised an eyebrow. "That's a long time," he said. "Isn't two years basically a fortnight to you?"

"A fortnight of concern is still painful. I just... wanted to see you again," Aya replied, looking very vulnerable for a moment. She rolled her eyes afterward, explaining after a brief pause, "The perception of time only changes for me when I travel between Outworld and Earthrealm, by the way."

The princess wasn’t sure what had come over her. Earlier, someone had told her that the Cryomancer had been on the Island for the tournament. As soon as she knew, she had to see him. It was Aya's first time hearing of Kuai Liang since the last time she'd actually seen him. 

“Still as forward as ever,” Kuai Liang replied with a chuckle. Absentmindedly rubbing the back of his neck as he looked down, he couldn't help but to smile at the princess. Seeing her ramble when she was frustrated was strangely adorable. Her bluntness was the quality he liked most about her personality thus far, and it was oddly refreshing to be witness to it again.

Aya glanced up shyly when he wasn't looking. He was now awkwardly fumbling with his nails, another one of his many nervous habits. Looking at the man with disappointment, the princess couldn't resist flicking Kuai Liang on the nose. Pointedly, she wasted no time in switching to her more overly-concerned girlfriend role. Even though she and the Cryomancer had not technically defined whatever was happening between them, she felt better after ranting once more.

Mentioning his status as a spy and assassin, Aya told Kuai Liang that she had not expected him to keep in touch at all, so that there was no surprise there anyway. She told him she would have loved to have heard something, to have had an opportunity to at least figure a way to contact one another across realms.

The truth was that she hoped he would return sooner, only to be disappointed and feel betrayed when he did not.

"Yes," she said, "because Heavens forbid an honorable _Lin Kuei_ have a woman interested in him long enough to worry for his well-being."

"And who says I don't want us to get better acquainted?" Kuai Liang said with a playful laugh, trying to assuage the mage's feelings. To see the blush on the woman's cheeks when he said this pleased him. “Though I _am_ glad to live to see another day, I want to know what brings you here so late.”

The Edenian stood, tip-toeing around the desk and towards the crate where Kuai Liang sat. Her wavy hair bounced over her shoulders. It was hard for him to tell beneath the long black cloak she wore, but it seemed like her hair had gotten longer since the last time they met.

“After three years, you’re _still_ oblivious!” Aya said icily, crossing her arms over her bust. The candle lit atop the desk behind her seemed to flicker as she spoke, almost as if it could feel her anger. Her feelings for the Cryomancer ran deep, even after these three years. She didn’t like that he seemed more shocked than pleased by her spontaneous visit.

“I am not,” he finally said, his expression softening. There was a tinge of red on his cheeks as he contemplated his next words. How could he tell her of his awareness of her lust for him without insulting her brashness? “You aren’t exactly subtle, Aya," he finally said, a smile playing on his lips as she registered his statement.

Kuai Liang had to keep from smiling at the Edenian who raged despite her attraction to him. “You could have still pursued me!” Aya said to him, almost raising her voice. She quickly lowered it when she heard the person in the room next door tapping against the wall. "Wrote me a letter saying you were alive! Something!" 

Oh. That's what it was, then. She'd been genuinely worried for him.

A sad sigh left Kuai Liang’s lips as he looked Aya in the eye. “I’m sorry, Aya. It’s just…" He looked down at his hands. "I was so scared to lower my guard all the way despite my interest in you back then,” he explained. He glanced up and gave her a pleading expression as he added, “Do you know what it is for a boy seeing the world for the first time to get hit on by the very woman he’s had a crush on despite only knowing her for a day?”

Kuai Liang felt vulnerable admitting that his feelings mirrored Aya’s own. He didn't even bother telling her that both Bi-Han _and_ Tomas had mocked him for weeks after they’d returned to the Lin Kuei temple after that mission for gazing after her wistfully. Tomas, for his part, did not think that the Cryomancer's interest in the princess was even worth the attempt.

He also did not think he liked the whole love at first sight thing he had going on with Aya, either. Though it was something special. In a twisted show of fate, this was his opportunity to take things further with Aya. He knew that a moment like this would not occur for some time afterward, and as such he had to savor it. When the magical Edenian walked over to stand in front of Kuai Liang, he had been admiring her physique. He’d never admit to it, and he’d already withdrawn his gaze from her cleavage, but he wanted to undress her. When he caught her looking, he averted his gaze. He shyly clasped his hands on his lap when he saw her gazing at his crotch.

“And what about now?” Aya asked him, pointedly ignoring the erection she spotted in his pants. Kuai Liang noticed the anger in her voice had started to subside. She had clearly seen him ogling her, having sensed his desire for her as he looked at her berry-painted lips.

Her guess was that his style was of the calm, but simmering quality, and she could tell he was a passionate man. Lowering the hood of her cloak, Aya decided to find out. She used her telekinetic magic to summon the chair closer to her. The Cryomancer leaned toward the princess with a raised eyebrow as she sat in the chair and turned her body to face him. Kuai Liang could feel the sexual tension in the small room thickening, try as he did to ignore it.

“What do you mean?” he asked her, his voice low and husky. Kuai Liang wanted to grab the princess by the face and kiss her already.

Aya bit her lip and looked down, scooting the chair closer to where their knees touched. The bed behind them suddenly started to look more and more appealing. “Am I still a lot for you to handle?”

Looking at the princess who was very clearly trying to get him to take her to bed, the Cryomancer smiled at her. Blue eyes somewhat gleamed as he said, in that same husky voice, “That depends on if _you_ can handle the cold.”

Princess Aya’s breath hitched. Here she was, finally getting the man she wanted to take her bait. She’d never even heard what he sounded like when aroused until now, and she loved it so far. Still biting her lip, she reached a hand up and slid it across her collarbones. A glimmering set of purple and blue runes lit up, making Aya’s skin glow as if she were being protected by the magic of another world.

“You can use your magic as long as I have these frost shield runes active,” Aya said, now hovering her hand over her collarbones and waving over them in the opposite direction. The runes gradually vanished, her otherwise pristine, light olive skin remaining intact. Kuai Liang bit back a growl, the realization of what this implied turning him on so badly he reached for the princess waist and pulled her as close as the chair could allow.

Of course she’d have expected him to use his ice magic on her body. “Good to know,” he said, chuckling as he now looked deep into her kaleidoscopic eyes with that handsome smile she'd seen all that time ago. It was still as radiant as ever.

The Cryomancer wasn’t sure why they were drawing out the inevitable. The Edenian wanted to have sex with him, and he obviously wasn’t going to deny her when he wanted the same. He just wasn’t sure how to keep this going. Besides, it wasn’t like he had anything else to do. The fights were over. The next day was free.

Feeling the bulge in his pants, Kuai Liang decided he might as well go for it. Then he faltered once the nerves had set in. Looking away, he muttered, ”You are going to be the reason I die before I'm forty.”

Aya smirked at the remark, licking her lips when she saw he’d noticed the arrow tattoo peeking above her hip bone. The cloak she wore as he reached up with his hands to caress her sides had shifted to reveal a small part her bodysuit. Kuai Liang hummed thoughtfully at the sight, the wrapped boots Aya wore that went all the way up her thighs enticing him. She winked at him as she saw the lump in the Kuai Liang’s baggy black pants. Knowing she had this effect on him pleased the Edenian very much.

Now leaning towards Kuai Liang, the princess slowly removed her cloak from her head. She chuckled as she angled herself so that her moderate breasts could jiggle freely beneath the low-cut collar of the skimpy bodysuit. She looked like a cat perched in front of its angry master on top of a table, daring the master to punish it.

Kuai Liang’s breathing was labored as he felt her lips ghosting above his left ear as she added, “You look rather ravishing yourself.”

Then she pulled back and stood, ripping off the cloak. The black, turquoise, and purple bodysuit underneath was a sight for Kuai Liang to behold, his erection straining against his pants as he reached a hand forward to drag it down her exposed torso. Seeing the Cryomancer’s reaction to her nearly nude body increased her arousal just so that Aya felt a certain wetness forming between her thighs.

It did not matter to the princess that she was not particularly happy about all of those nights spent wondering if she would ever see him again. The thought of losing the chance to ever see Kuai Liang in the flesh hurt her more than she could bear. She had missed him after only seeing him twice, for reasons she could not even explain. All she wanted now was for the Cryomancer to see and to reach out and feel every inch of her body.

And here he was, pulling her back on top of him and running his hands over her body, his frozen touches reminding her of a distant snow. It was ridiculous how attracted she was to him the first time they met. The sudden shift of their dynamic from a platonic one to a sexual one in this moment was so torrid it almost made her feel foolish.

She wasn’t going to stop, though. Not when she could feel his manhood twitching beneath her.

Kuai Liang held back a whimper as the princess slowly ground herself against him, wrapping her arms around his neck. It hadn’t been his first time with a woman, no. The first woman, a redhead, was admittedly rather good in bed.

But this… This moment with Aya was so much better. The more she touched him, the more he wanted her to continue.

“I’ve always wanted this,” she whispered into his ear, echoing his thoughts. She ground herself against him again, this time pressing a little harder. Aya pulled another groan from Kuai Liang’s lips when she leaned back and used a tendril of her magic to wrap around his neck, pressing slowly while she continued to grind atop him.

Kuai Liang grabbed at the invisible tendril, summoning his ice. The blue-white sheen covering his forearms were an involuntary reaction to being choked, but there was something about this made his skin tingle with the need to be touched. How long would it take for Aya to free him and take him already? He was more than happy to be taken if it meant being choked to death by a beautiful woman.

Noticing the intensity of his desire for her, and grateful that he had enjoyed her cosmic teasing, Aya used another hand to free her breasts from their satin bonds. She ground her hips against him yet again while also tightening the magical bonds around his neck. She held it in her hand like a leash, the magic of it casting a prismatic shadow across the room. His pleasure enhanced by the psychedelic fractal visuals his new lover's magic provided, Kuai Liang almost finished in his pants at the sight of his lover’s breasts falling out of her bodysuit. The obscene jiggle as his hands ghosted over them, the frost on them tickling the sensitive nipples. 

“Always thought you seemed like the type to enjoy chokeholds,” she added, relishing Kuai Liang’s reaction when he groaned and abruptly reached forward with his right hand to freeze the doorknob.

The Cryomancer couldn’t believe this was happening. A woman he'd desired for so long had come to his room to dominate him. Kuai Liang had been tired after the fights earlier in the day, so it didn’t matter or emasculate him one bit, but he appreciated a woman who could take charge in bed. He curiously watched the princess through half-lidded eyes as she reached her right hand down to grab one of his. He wasn’t about to let _anyone_ sleeping in the rooms nearby interrupt this moment.

“You thought correctly,” he said. He'd barely been able to get the words out. Aya sensed his struggle to breathe as she ground on him, loosening her grip on her magic. Kuai Liang licked his lips as he gathered his breath, raising a hand to caress the woman's face. He let out a low moan when the Edenian continued to grind at his clothed need and brought his free hand to her breast.

She sighed blissfully as the Cryomancer squeezed it, gently pulling at the already hardened nipple. He loved the way they poked through the sheer satin earlier when she'd removed her cloak, but to see them bare like this was even better. Kuai Liang growled as he gently shoved her away from him, only to reach forward and pull her toward him by the chin. Both of them tangled their bodies together, kissing passionately as Aya guided them back onto the mattress behind them.

_At last._

The princess chuckled darkly as Kuai Liang flipped her over onto her back, her breasts bouncing again as she fell onto the mattress. He smiled as he took in the sight of her body. Translucent turquoise and lavender diamond runes glimmered on the sides of her body down, seemingly dimming and brightening with every single kiss he placed on her skin. The cyberpunk-like beauty of the woman beneath him was astonishing. Her galactic hair had indeed grown long. It surpassed her breasts, framing her prismatic eyes like stars in a midnight sky.

"Your skin glimmers like the stars on a moonlit night," he breathed, still massaging her breasts with his hands. Aya's chest heaved as the passionate Cryomancer used his mouth to bring Aya to her crest. "Like a black hole, you threaten to consume me."

He _had_ to look at the quivering Edenian below him. A flush covered her heaving chest as she smiled up at him, relishing in his praises. She bit her lip, shifting her legs and slowly spreading them for him. “Aren’t you glad I came?” she asked him, a teasing tone in her voice.

A seductive smirk appeared on his lips as he slowly palmed the fabric still clinging between Aya's legs, causing her to arch her back and moan. Aya was damp with need and he could tell that she wanted and needed him now.

He found it rather amusing, really. She’d been the one doing most of the touching, seeing as he’d been holding back. Yet all it took was a few touches from him to get her going. She’d clearly desired Kuai Liang so badly his touches were more of a cold burn.

The loud moans that escaped Aya's lips as Kuai Liang took her nipple into his mouth were like music to his ears. She pressed his head against her chest, savoring his love, yet unable to move once the Cryomancer pinned her onto the bed with his hips.

“We both will,” Kuai Liang said to her, completely aware of the sexual connotations of his words. It was a promise, one that rooted them both to the reality that things would not be the same between them once they slept together. He leaned back after giving yet another passionate kiss and straddled the Edenian, gently caressing her cheek with frozen fingertips. He smiled as the light snowdust fell off her face.

The glistening of his magic on Aya’s skin was a lovely sight, he enjoyed her sighs and whimpers as he continued touching her lightly. Those frozen hands tracing over her nipples as she arched her back made him want her more. Reaching up, Aya pulled him down into a passionate ziplock. She breathed in the moan he let into into her mouth, both of them breathing heavily as their tongues wrestled for dominance. The princess felt sheer happiness as she ran her slender fingers through Kuai Liang's silky black hair, biting and suckling at his neck as he teased her with his ice.

“When are you going back to Earthrealm?” Aya suddenly asked, breaking their moment. When Kuai Liang leaned back to look into her eyes, he saw the worry and fear. He leaned in and kissed her, both hands on her cheeks as he lay atop her with their legs tangled. His digit was no longer frozen.

“Soon,” he said, hoping this would reassure her.“But for now, I’m all yours.”

Emboldened by his statement of acceptance, Aya quickly shoved Kuai Liang off of her with a smirk. As he shifted onto his back and watched her with a lustful gaze, the Edenian returned the expression and kneeled on the mattress. She began to unlace the rest of her satin bodysuit, looking into the Cryomancer’s ocean stare and marveling at how he bit his lip. Crawling on top of him, Aya angled her hips to ensure they were parallel to his. She did not care to remove the rest of her bodysuit, even if the cosmic-printed loincloth skimpily hanging around her hips might later get in the way.

“You were mine from the start,” the princess told him as she straddled him once more. Kuai Liang groaned, leaning up on his forearms. He kissed her again while reaching forward with his right hand. Releasing her, he leaned back slightly and grabbed Aya by the chin.

The fervid kiss Kuai Liang gave her once he brought their faces close was more than enough to make her drip. She whimpered when she felt Kuai Liang move his hands to her hips, grabbing and squeezing her with sounds of his own as he felt the magical leash around his neck tighten a little more.

His breath still hitching in response to the gentle tug, Kuai Liang could only reply with a sharp bite to her neck after he broke their kiss and returned to savoring the princess’ breasts. He massaged Aya’s left breast with his frozen right hand, tracing over her nipples with ice. He marveled at how her entire body quivered with only a few careful pinches. It was rather lurid how her pleasure was heightened whenever Kuai Liang's tongue and teeth pulled at her skin.

* * *

He had not expected this woman to be this horny.

An hour had passed, and Aya still whimpered and squirmed beneath Kuai Liang. Knowing she had uncaged his frozen heart, she was suddenly overwhelmed at the sensation of his touch between her legs. Her eyes clamped shut while she shivered, his breath shaking with want as he gingerly trailed his knuckles down her inner thigh.

“This feels so good,” she whispered. The words had all come out in a subtle moan, and it was all because of Kuai Liang's seductive ministrations. The Edenian opened her eyes and smiled at Kuai Liang, who merely caressed her cheek with his free hand as he continued to tease her. Though she still trembled in his arms, she was growing tired of the gentle touches. Impatiently, Aya leaned forward and grabbed the Cryomancer's face with both hands. “Normally, I prefer to go hard and fast,” she told him, referencing the way she preferred to bed her past lovers. She did not want to do things the usual way with Kuai Liang. Licking his lips slowly with a swipe of her tongue, she added with a sultry whisper, “With _you_ , though, I want it nice and slow.”

Aya didn’t let Kuai Liang answer, shushing his parted lips and with her finger. She had seen the question forming in his wide, stunned eyes before she kissed him slowly this time, lowering her hands and finally starting to unwrap his yearning need. Kuai Liang took the hint, leaning back on his forearms and biting his lip. The way she looked as he watched her reach for him…

His pupils dilated further when the princess put two fingers in her mouth and started to suck them. The look in her cosmic gaze when she brought the hand down moments later and stroked his manhood with it could have made him erupt right then and there, but he knew he had to hold back for they had only just begun. The streams of melting water trailing down her naked torso was beauty incarnate. Kuai Liang dragged his frozen nails down her body, breathing heavily and whispering wanton phrases in broken Mandarin onto her chest as she used her hand to stroke him.

Aya could not silence the loud moan that escaped her as she finally — _finally_ — lowered herself onto Kuai Liang. The tingling sensation she felt as his manhood plunged into her depths was delicious in ways words could not explain. In many ways, it was better than the extended foreplay session they'd had earlier in the night. She trailed cosmic energy along the Cryomancer’s chest as she slowly rode him, the runes cast on her body glowing with every thrust.

Kuai Liang was entranced. He watched with half-lidded eyes as Aya touched his chest with her magic. Curses and praises both slipped from his tongue as her hips twirled erotically. To finally experience their bodies merging like this made him want to make this moment last an eternity, though he knew he’d never be able to do so. Gripping Aya’s hips as he slowly pushed into her core, the Cryomancer felt her tug at his neck with the magical leash yet again. He’d been _so_ lost in the pleasure of filling the woman in his bed that he’d forgotten it.

But the feeling of being dominated by a woman thrilled him, however; he loved the way the Edenian tugged at the leash ever so slightly.

As their bodies merged in the shadows of the barely illuminated room, Kuai Liang couldn't stop thinking about how _amazed_ he was that they could trust each other with their bodies. It had all happened so soon despite not knowing each other well, but it felt so right. His ragged breath caught in his throat as she tugged him forward again, his _own_ nipples hardening as he involuntarily thrust upward into Aya. Kuai Liang twitched against the leash, straining his neck as she leaned in and whispered Edenian poetry in his ears.

“Fuck, your magic feels amazing,” she groaned in the common tongue. She pressed her breasts against him and slowly lifted her hips, taking only the head in as she continued to ride him. Kuai Liang’s breath quickened at the touch, this angle making him feel more of the pleasure.

_If she keeps on like this, I’m not going to last._

Lifting one of his hands to pinch the princess’ hardened nipples, Kuai Liang felt as though electricity jolted his skin when he watched Aya suddenly lean back and start to rub at her swollen clit in slow, deliberate circles while he continued to give himself over to her. Her free hand tugged at his sensitive nipples, causing the man to cry out and arch his back in turn.

“…You’re a gods-damned succubus,” he gasped once his quivering back had hit the comfort of the mattress again. The last woman he’d fucked had not known to torment his pecs, yet Aya somehow had figured him out. Perhaps it had more to do with the fact that Aya had many lovers before him, whereas Skarlet, the redheaded assassin who succeeded in her seduction of Kuai Liang not even two days ago, had only had one.

Kuai Liang didn’t need to think about that, though. Aya’s thighs clamped around his hips as she continued riding him, increasing the intensity of his pleasure. She did not respond to his comment about her sexuality, though she had to admit she rather _liked_ the sound of Kuai Liang begging for her to fuck him…

“Please, Aya,” the Cryomancer breathed again, thrusting into the princess even harder this time. He didn't know how to tell her he wanted to be choked again. The moan that left him almost sounded like a sob when the Edenian dropped her hips to take in _all_ of him in while pulling at the leash.

Kuai Liang almost cried when Aya climbed off of him, yearning for her to touch his throbbing manhood. The princess smirked at the poor man, pulling down the remaining elements of her attire and kicking them away. She gave the Cryomancer a sensual grin, glancing down coyly as she stuck two fingers inside herself. 

He couldn’t take anymore. Quickly sitting up with a strangled moan, Kuai Liang pulled Aya back to the bed with a passionate liplock. She fell next to him, unable to process what had happened because by now the Cryomancer had pried her legs apart with his hands.

The look he gave her when he released her lower lip from the gentle tug his teeth had given them soaked her up. Aya smiled as the Cryomancer lowered his head and draped one of her legs over his shoulder. _That_ almost shattered her.

Kuai Liang chuckled as he went in and savored the taste of the princess, noticing that she’d never taken the strapped boots off. This did not matter because to him, this wasn’t just sex. He had real feelings for the princess and was merely consummating them for once.

But Aya… Aya was sweeter than the candies from the confectionary in downtown Chicago by the Tribune Tower. He wanted more. Aya could barely breathe as he ran his cold tongue across her womanhood in various, slow and sensuous patterns. Kuai Liang’s own body shivered as he praised the princess, mumbling erotic praises into her wetness as he licked and sucked.

“Oh, Gods,” Aya cried, arching her back as the Cryomancer’s hands clutched desperately around her hips. Both of her legs dangled wildly from Kuai Liang’s broad shoulders now, her hips quivering yet again while he slipped two of his fingers in. She could _almost_ feel the liquid silk slipping from her as she clenched around his cold fingers, her orgasm not too far away.

Kuai Liang himself was at a loss for words as Aya thrust against his fingers, bringing her hand up to drag a finger down her neck and chest. The Cryomancer quickly took the hint, freezing a digit and chuckling darkly as he lightly trailed it down her body. 

“ _Yesssss_ ,” she breathed shakily as he did what she wanted, rewarding him with a tendril of her magic tugging at his neck once more. Kuai Liang ignored his manhood, the need for his own release not at all on his mind. The only thing that mattered to him right now was savoring the princess, because he wasn’t sure when he’d have to return to the Lin Kuei. Yes, he was free to do as he wanted now, but that didn't mean he didn't have responsibilities to an employer.

This moment was probably all they had, anyhow. Kuai Liang needed it to last.

The Cryomancer continued to flick his hooked fingers inside Aya, appreciating every curve of the woman’s body as he brought her to the brink of her climax. He wanted this to be a night she’d remember should they be split apart by duty again, encouraging her rising pleasure and rubbing at her clit with his frozen thumb.

“ _Please_ , Kuai Liang,” she cooed, fondling her taut breast with her other hand. She used her telekinetic power to tighten the leash around Kuai Liang neck, causing him to moan her name in return. Pushing his head down with her other hand, Aya restrained another squeal of excitement as he lowered his face between her legs.

Dilated blue eyes flickered upward and glinted mischievously as the princess begged for him to taste her magic again. “Gladly,” he said, quivering above her as his fingers continued their assault. When he quivered and groaned at the tension around his neck, Aya felt herself tightening around his fingers.

Despite wanting to have slow, passionate sex for their first time, things had gradually become more aggressive and quick. Perhaps it was the intensity of the attraction between them that’s lasted all these years, but it was what it was. Kuai Liang ripped his fingers out of the princess and stroked himself with her wetness, whimpering as he shoved her legs off of him. He continued stroking himself as he sat down behind her.

“Tell me if it's too much and I'll stop,” he said to her, those river-like eyes of his tender and full of honesty despite half-lidded. Aya nodded her understanding. She was grateful for Kuai Liang's concern, though it wasn't like he could break her. Aya still lay on her back, her clit pulsating harder at his touch from how close she had been to her release. The thought of Kuai Liang proving his might to her in bed caused her hips to quiver slightly as she shifted her body and rose to sit in front of him.

The Cryomancer bit his lip and pulled Aya flush against his chest, reaching his hand down between them. He placed a galaxy of kisses on her neck, shoulders, and above her ear, trailing those frozen fingertips across her breasts.

When she summoned her magical leash and tugged at his neck again, Kuai Liang grunted and lurched forward. “You filthy minx,” he swore, pushing Aya’s lower back. He gestured for her to lean forward on her knees, smirking as the reality of taking Aya this way thrilled him to the core. He had pleasured himself too many times at the fantasy of this coupling.

Aya lifted her hips, allowing Kuai Liang to enter her once more. Moaning her name into her ear as he entered her, he started to thrust. This time, it was harder and slightly rougher than the last. He couldn’t contain his desire for her anymore. The princess whimpered, tears streaming down her face. She was so close to orgasm from it all, on the edge of her release just from the way Kuai Liang spoke to her. She was pleased to have been right about her earlier assumption that he might be passionate and more willing to let go in the bedroom.

He’d proven himself a worthy lover, for sure.

* * *

Kuai Liang was loving this, the way she looked as he pounded into her. This was round three, and though they were close to exhaustion from having fucked one another several times throughout the night, the two of them just kept going after their intermissions.

He cried out as he felt her clenching even harder against his length this time. What was sure to be her final orgasm of the evening took Aya's entire body to the next world and back. She trembled and shook, her legs wobbling as she continued to come for him. Seeing how she could barely hold herself up on all fours didn’t stop him from continuing to extend her release, however.

“Fuck me,” Aya moaned, her loud voice breaking into a sob. The Cryomancer gripped the Edenian's hips harder this time, still taking her from behind. Her wails carried throughout the room, neither of them caring if the people sleeping in the next rooms overheard. If the naughty little princess wanted more of him, then he would gladly oblige.

She tugged at the cosmic leash around Kuai Liang’s neck again, angling her other arm for balance when she remembered her runes. Turning around to face him, she ran the free hand across her collarbone to activate them. Somehow, the runes intensified the quality of their sensual moment, turning her into perhaps an ethereal beauty Kuai Liang did not deserve.

“Summon your power,” she begged him. He gave her a confused expression, but when she begged again, saying the words, “Fuck me and let me feel your cold embrace already!” the man about lost his mind.

"Since... Since y-you asked for it,” Kuai Liang said through gritted teeth, gripping at Aya’s hips while she clamped on him again. He moaned deeply, his voice quivering as he reached around with his right arm. He quickly formed a six inch by six inch block of ice in front of Aya and shoved her against it. Before she could say anything, Aya screamed blissfully as he froze her to the slab of ice. This somehow had extended her orgasm, the magic of her runes also protecting her from the inherent harm the ice could have caused her. Perhaps they’d also increased her pleasure? She did not know, but it felt good so it did not matter.

Wriggling her hips, she moaned to him in Edenian. Kuai Liang couldn't understand the ancient language, though he imagined with a tint of timid arrogance she sung praises on his size and girth. If the fact that Aya was dripping as she took every inch of him to the hilt were any indictation...

“You,” she panted, now sliding her arms down and burying her face in the pillow. It was a miracle that the berry lip stain that she wore didn't smear. “You feel… so _amazing_ inside of me…”

Kuai Liang couldn’t stop pounding against her. _Everything_ felt good, and his nerves were on fire. He leaned forward and kissed the princess’ sweaty neck, blowing cool air against her skin before running his tongue down to the collarbone. She moaned his name again as they rocked against each other, the princess tugging harder at the leash.

The tugging of the magical collar around his neck was what brought him to the brink. Yanking Aya off of him and rolling onto his back, he landed with her still on top of him, though disconnected. They’d been going at it for what felt like an eternity, their bodies completely covered in sweat. The small room smelled of the white lotus incense near the candle on the table.

“I..I-I'm p-pretty c-c-close,” Kuai Liang stuttered, holding Aya's hand as he guided her back to a cowgirl position. He turned the princess around to face him, smiling fondly and caressing her cheek with a cold hand as he filled her with his length.

She leaned back, trying to delay the release forming between her legs. She continued rubbing at her clit. “Do it.”

Kuai Liang ducked his head to suck at Aya’s nipples, fondling them and savoring her taste. Though he was sure they'd be evenly matched on the battlefield despite having never fought, he was grateful for finally given the permission to let himself indulge in the gift of his release. Aya seemed to vibrate on him as he increased his tempo, her supple breasts bouncing with every thrust.

Crazed by lust, the princess clawed at herself. Her hands thrummed with magic much like Kuai Liang's did, both sets of hands running up and down her body and his as her moans increased in volume and in frequency. Her sultry voice was already raw by the time she’d reached her final peak. With Kuai Liang still inside her, her legs quivered as much as his. The Edenian’s orgasm had been so intense he felt his own fast approaching.

Kuai Liang could see stars in his eyes. He felt Aya’s soaking womanhood tightening around him, so he reached up and pulled her toward him by the hair, yanking her into a passionate kiss as their climaxes threatened to take them both over completely. It wasn't by any means a rational thought, but the Cryomancer felt like he teetered on the edge of glory. Their moans for each other only intensified the glow of her runes, the kaleidoscope of colors illuminating the room. It almost reminded him of the light show at that Outworld festival in 2008.

Feeling him up one more time, the princess leaned forward with a breathy moan of satisfaction. She nuzzled her nose against Kuai Liang’s neck as she ground her hips against him harder and harder. Kuai Liang was close, she could feel it as she turned her face to kiss him. If this was what it was to feel pleasure and pain at once, she wouldn’t mind trying this again in the future.

Preferably with him, of course. Aya was _wild_ in bed, but she couldn’t see herself fucking somebody else like this. There was no other woman Kuai Liang would even allow to use a leash on him like this, and she knew that. There had been a look of hesitation in his blue eyes when she'd summoned the leash earlier in the night, so to see that he loved it made her decide to keep him as her pet.

There was only Aya.

There would _only_ be Aya.

It was this very thought that resulted in another violent orgasm on Aya’s part. Kuai Liang’s forearms involuntarily froze over as he kept thrusting into her and holding her close. The noises she made as she clamped around him were so arousing they forced his own release. Both of them sobbed in each others’ arms as they rode it out, gently kissing one another as they whimpered. Aya still quivered above him, limp and exhausted from what may have qualified as a substitute for kombat training.

* * *

They lay together, still joined at the hip and cuddling, quietly enjoying the peaceful dawn outside their window. Neither of them knew what to say to each other. Neither of them had gone to sleep after their last climax hours past. All they knew was that today might possibly be the last time they'd get to see one another.

“I don’t have to leave if you don’t want me to,” Kuai Liang finally said after a few moments. He lazily reached a hand out to smooth Aya’s messy galactic hair, looking at her through sleepy eyes. He thought it funny how her hair had gotten plastered around her neck and shoulders during their earlier escapades.

Aya looked up and searched for truth in those orbs of his. He wasn’t lying to her.

“But we can talk about that later,” he finally offered, smiling as Aya now rose to lift herself off of him. A chuckle left the Cryomancer as he watched her stumble to grab her clothes. He’d even sprinkled a little snow shower over her in an attempt to celebrate her beauty. "Whatever happens between us, just know I respect whatever you choose."

Since Kuai Liang did not have to do much other than train for the tournament the following day, courtesy of the sorcerer who’d recently created a certain someone to replace her mother, Aya decided that perhaps rushing their relationship was not a wise choice. She still needed to figure out a way to ask him for his help with this, and perhaps Tomas’ as well. However, she also knew that if Li Mei or Bo’ Rai ‘Cho should ever learn of this dalliance, they would argue that her choice to go to Kuai Liang for sex despite having only met him twice was a foolish one. She could already hear the Drunken Master chiding her for the recklessness.

 _Still, he’s the one I want and hopefully the one I’ve got,_ she realized as Kuai Liang looked up from where he lay in his bed and smiled at her. He’d been blushing at the sight of himself still on her leg, quietly flickering his eyes back to her after looking at it again. With a laugh, Aya shrugged and reached for one of the towels and other toiletries the Island barracks warden had provided for the kombatants during their stay.

“So,” she said, after having cleaned herself with a wet rag and one of the lavender oils that were available on the rack. She watched Kuai Liang clean himself off with cedarwood oil and a rag as she looked beneath the bed for the spare set of covers. “I guess we’ll be sleeping without blankets then, since I ruined them all.”

Kuai Liang chuckled, placing the wet rag he'd used on himself in the sink in the back of the small room. He pointed at the shelf directly above them in the corner wall above the desk. “Fortunately, we won't be. There’s another stack up there.”

The princess rolled her eyes as she yanked the blankets down. “Thank you,” she mumbled tiredly. She got into the bed beside Kuai Liang, resting her head against his bicep as she ran another hand down his chest. “For not being put off by me,” she added.

He pulled the blankets over them both, softly kissing the princess’ temple as he froze the candle still lighting up the room. He took care to only freeze the wick. “It should be me thanking you for that,” Kuai Liang admitted, remembering the awkward way in which they’d interacted three years ago. “You gave me courage when I needed it the most.”

“How did I do that?”

Another tender kiss on her forehead as she settled comfortably under the sheets. “By existing, perhaps,” he replied. “Just know that I like you for some Gods-damned reason.”

The princess buried her face in his naked chest as she pondered his admission. “Hopefully you like me enough for regular casual sex whenever you come around,” she said with a yawn. “You’re good at it.”

Kuai Liang huffed proudly, saying nothing in response to the princess’ compliment. He didn't want to consider his interest in pursuing something more permanent with the princess when her mother still ruled Outworld with Shao Kahn. Staring at the ceiling, Kuai Liang ran his fingers through the Edenian's hair, her slow breathing the only indicator of her being asleep. It took a bit before his own eyes closed, but when they finally did, he discovered that the blanket and the newly kindled affection between them warmed his cold, lonely heart. 


	2. Soul Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter takes place the day after the events in _Power of Three._
> 
> Bi-Han wakes up in a foul mood after Tomas interrupts his beauty sleep, and Kuai Liang wakes up and sees that Aya isn't there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unfortunately because I'm in the process of relocating once again, I didn't have the time to sit down and write anything. :( That said, I do apologize for keeping you waiting, and I hope this update suffices!
> 
> I mainly wanted to pick up from where I left off in the last update and explore a few ideas that had come up while I was writing it. For that reason, this update can be considered a continuation of the first chapter. I can't say what my next update will be about, since I'm going to be busy with packing my things and getting things moved to the new apartment, but I'll think on it. I hope you all enjoy this in the meantime. :)
> 
> Update: 11/28/20: Unfortunately, real life obligations have gotten in the way. I hope y'all can forgive me for the delay in updates, and I assure y'all that I'm not abandoning this fic! I'm hoping to have the next update up before the end of the week, and I'm actually working on it right now. Though I don't know when the next update will be published, it is going to take place a week after Aya and Kuai hook up. I also want to explore Smoke and Jade some more in later chapters. Once I'm fully settled into my apartment, my goal is to update this more frequently, though I don't know what the scheduling for it will be. Everything is up in the air right now and for that I do apologize. For now, thanks to all who've read and left me Kudos! It means a lot to me to know that while my work isn't for everyone in the fandom, there are still some of you who still appreciate what I do. :)

“Stop it, shit-stain!” Bi-Han growled, swiping at Tomas with a frozen hand. The only thing keeping him from shooting an ice beam and freezing Tomas against the opposite wall was the hangover he’d awoken with. Bi-Han really wasn’t in the mood for _any_ of his jokes. 

The Cryomancer had been startled awake by repeated flicks on his forehead. Naturally, he was upset. It was six in the morning, and therefore way too early for this. All the Cryomancer wanted was to sleep in and pretend his head wasn’t hurting.

“Messing with you is too much fun,” Tomas replied, rapidly flicking his finger on his friend’s forehead several times in succession. He seemed antsy and as though he was trying to distract himself from something. “Especially when you’re wrecked.”

Bi-Han groaned and buried his face under the blankets. He knew this game, and he wasn’t interested in playing along. “I’m going to wreck _you_ if you don’t fuck off,” he muttered. Why was it that Tomas liked to annoy him so? 

They had been bunking together at Shang Tsung’s barracks, much to Bi-Han’s irritation. Though the Cryomancer preferred having his own space, he would have preferred to share a room with his younger brother. Unfortunately for him, Kuai Liang had already taken the solitary room on the other end of the barracks. 

Tomas was not bothered by the sleeping arrangement, however. Though he normally would have roomed with Kuai Liang as well, he actually enjoyed Bi-Han’s company. This was partly why he had been flicking Bi-Han’s face. The annoyance on the man’s face when jarred awake was _always_ worth it. 

“Oh, come _on_ ,” Tomas chided, playfully smacking the older man’s huddled form with his mask, which he hadn’t put on yet. “You’re fun to mess with, even if you’re a dick.”

“Fuck off, Tomas,” Bi-Han snapped, now throwing off his blanket and glaring daggers at the man. “Seriously, man. Go bother Kuai instead!”

Tomas dropped his mask at the remark. “You know, I probably should,” he agreed, now bending down to pick up his mask. The idea of bothering Kuai Liang was honestly a good one. After all, the two hadn’t seen each other since last night. 

“Then go. It’s too early in the morning to be dealing with your shit.”

A laugh escaped the Enenra’s lips as he shook his head. “As if your brother wouldn’t say the same thing.”

“Exactly,” Bi-Han said. He returned to his blankets and snuggled in further, turning away from the Enenra. “Now get the fuck outta here.”

“Whatever, man,” Tomas replied, now putting his mask on the table next to his own bed. He adjusted his boots and left the room, sighing as he closed the door behind him. 

The Enenra didn’t want to admit that the reason for annoying his friend was because of a bad nightmare. It woke him up at four in the morning, and there was no way in hell he would be returning to sleep any time soon. He was almost certain that the energy on Shang Tsung’s island had something to do with it, considering the fact that he’d been inwardly panicking for the last two hours.

As he walked around the area outside of the barracks, he thought about how to approach the subject with Kuai Liang. The man was his best friend, so perhaps he’d understand without casting judgment. It was a lot easier for Tomas to speak plainly around him, anyway. 

He eventually arrived at the training grounds in the middle of the island. Tired from the previous day’s fights, most of the kombatants on Shang Tsung’s Island were still sleeping. Only Jade was there, meditating near the dais. 

“Hello, Lin Kuei,” Jade greeted, slowly opening her eyes and glancing up at the Enenra with a smile. She’d sensed his presence long before his arrival. The two had not formally met, though they had clearly recognized one another from the tournament. 

“Good morning,” he replied, nodding as he approached her. “I’m not interrupting your meditation, am I?” 

He had to admit the woman was attractive, though he knew there was no way in hell he’d even make a move on her. Jade would probably shove her staff down his throat if he tried. Unbeknownst to him, however, she’d taken a liking to him after seeing him at the tavern. 

“You are not,” Jade replied, now rising to stand. She walked to where Tomas stood and extended a gloved hand. “But it _is_ a pleasure to come face to face with a formidable opponent.”

Tomas chuckled, reaching out and shaking her hand. “Likewise, though I am grateful for the day off.”

“As am I,” Jade replied, now leaning against her staff with her arms crossed. She smiled thoughtfully as she glanced at the sunrise. “Though it would be an honor if you joined me for a walk.”

Shocked, the Enenra had not expected such an overt offer. There was no indication of romantic interest in Jade’s eyes, however. From what he could tell, the Edenian was merely showing hospitality, and he did not want to risk offending her. 

“Gladly,” he said, gesturing in front of them. He didn’t know this island too well, but he was also aware of all the random death traps in the area. For these reasons, Tomas felt it was best to let Jade lead the way.

* * *

Kuai Liang woke up much later that morning. When he realized that Aya was gone, it confused him. Had the night before been a dream? He was about to insult the Elder Gods for playing pranks on him when a sudden knock on the door to his room startled him.

“Who is it?” he asked. He was still naked in bed, not at all interested in dealing with anyone. It didn’t matter to him that it was eleven in the morning.

“Big dick Bi-Han, motherfucker.”

Kuai Liang groaned and rolled his eyes, sitting up in bed and rubbing his forehead. “Fuckin’ idiot,” he muttered.

“I heard that!”

The younger Cryomancer rolled his eyes again and got out of bed. Changing into a pair of black jogging pants and a dark blue tunic, he noticed the lob of ice still on the doorknob. It was then when he realized that his dream with Aya had actually been reality. When he looked in the mirror in the back of the room and noticed all of the marks across his neck and torso, he couldn’t help but cringe inwardly at the jokes he _knew_ would be made at his expense. 

“Are you gonna let me in,” Bi-Han asked from the other side of the door, “or do I have to shatter that door?” There was impatience in his voice. 

“Give me a fuckin’ minute, dickhead,” Kuai Liang replied, frowning at the door and throwing an ice dagger at it. Now pulling on his boots, he unfroze the doorknob and let his brother inside.

Bi-Han shoved Kuai Liang aside the minute the door opened. Not caring if he offended his younger brother, he plopped onto the desk chair next to the bed. With a raised eyebrow, he placed his legs on top of the desk and glanced around the room. “Smells like sex in here,” he remarked. 

The younger Cryomancer bristled, suddenly annoyed _and_ self-conscious. Frowning at Bi-Han, he grabbed a hooded jacket from the crate and put it on. Fortunately, the hood hid most of the love marks. Of course, it didn’t matter. Bi-Han always knew more than he let on when it came to Kuai Liang’s personal life.

“So,” Bi-Han drawled, forming a toothpick with his ice powers. He set it between his teeth and picked at them, looking at his younger brother with a knowing smirk. “Any visitors last night?”

Kuai Liang slammed the lid of the crate shut and turned to face his brother. Ice covered his forearms as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. “Did you come in here to talk shit? Or did you want something?”

Bi-Han quickly took the hint, raising his hands and holding them up in self-defense. His legs were still on the desk. “I was just kidding,” he said. “Calm down.”

Both men had woken up in a cranky mood. If Tomas and Tabari had been here to witness their interaction, they’d have remarked on the temperature of the room itself. Everyone in the Lin Kuei was used to the temperature dropping whenever Kuai Liang and Bi-Han got into fights with each other.

“Fine, Bi-Han,” Kuai Liang said, withdrawing his powers. It wasn’t like they would’ve been effective on another Cryomancer anyway. “What do you want?”

His brother shrugged. “I’m bored.”

“You’re always bored.”

“I know,” Bi-Han replied. “That’s why I came here to get you.”

Kuai Liang raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. “For what? To train?”

At this, the older Cryomancer barked a laugh. Grinning, he replied, “To drink. Tavern’s open.”

“Dude, it’s not even noon!”

“So?”

 _“'So?’”_ Kuai Liang repeated incredulously. He couldn’t understand Bi-Han’s need to drink so early in the day. At this rate, he was surprised the man hadn't developed chronic pancreatitis. 

Bi-Han shrugged again. “You say it like it matters, man.” 

The younger Cryomancer shook his head at his older brother and closed his eyes. “Dude, you drank at least seven pints of Outworld lager last night,” he said. “Two guards had to drag you out because you almost got into a fight with Kung Lao.” 

Bi-Han hadn’t forgotten the angry expression on the Shaolin’s face when he accidentally spilled his beer on him. Instead of apologizing, he’d laughed. Kung Lao was not at all happy about his new pants being ruined. Fortunately, two masked guards outside the tavern had come in and separated the two men before things could escalate. Once they’d started exchanging heated insults and threats, the tavern owner summoned the guards and demanded that they send the two warriors back to their respective rooms for the night. It was miraculous that Kung Lao and Bi-Han hadn't killed each other.

“Also,” Kuai Liang added, grimacing as he remembered his injury. He would never forget being cut with that forsaken bladed hat. “He’s the one who fucked my eye up, in case I never told you.” 

Bi-Han’s eyebrows shot up at this revelation. When Kuai Liang returned to the Lin Kuei temple in upstate Illinois after that fight three years ago, he never told Bi-Han or anyone the details of what had happened. The older Cryomancer had never even bothered to ask. 

The two men awkwardly stared at one another silently for a few moments. Another knock at the door captured their attention, and it didn’t take them long to realize it was Tomas on the other side. Bi-Han gave his brother a knowing smirk as he went to open it. 

“Ew, it’s you,” Kuai Liang said to Tomas, causing both him and his older brother to laugh out loud. 

The Enenra closed the door and leaned against it. “Ew, your face,” he replied, scowling at Kuai Liang. “Anyway,” he said with a smile, “I was looking for you earlier but you weren’t at the training grounds.”

“Nah, I slept in.” Kuai Liang replied. He’d been up all night with Aya and had overslept, losing track of time. Normally he woke up every morning at four-thirty, and it wasn’t like him to be off schedule, but he had to admit it was nice to sleep in for a change. 

“Uh-huh,” said the Enenra suspiciously. He’d noticed his best friend hiding under layers of clothing, which wasn’t like him. “What’s with the clothes?”

“Hey,” Bi-Han interrupted. “We’re both exhausted. You came here to tell us something,” he reminded him. “Now stop wasting time and spill.”

Tomas rolled his eyes and looked at Kuai Liang. “Guess what happened this morning.” 

The older Cryomancer shrugged. Although the question hadn’t been meant for him, he answered it anyway. “If it ain’t about alcohol, I don’t wanna hear it,” he said.

“This man and his fuckin’ alcohol, I swear,” Kuai Liang muttered, shaking his head in disappointment as he sat on his bed. He then straightened his posture and lifted his head, giving his best friend his undivided attention. “What happened, Tomas?”

The Enenra grinned, suddenly excited to tell Kuai Liang about it. He hadn’t even come here looking for Bi-Han. “Jade and I went on a walk.”

Bi-Han was interested in this development. “Oh, really?” he asked, once again involving himself in a discussion that was frankly none of his business. Not that he cared, of course. “Did she poke you with her staff?”

“Fuck you, Bi-Han. I wasn’t going to say no to her when she offered,” Tomas said defensively. Sheepishly, he added, “But I wasn’t going to hit on her, either.”

For a moment, the younger Cryomancer thought Tomas had arrived to talk about something else entirely. With a raised brow, Kuai Liang said, “I’m surprised she didn’t gut you then and there, honestly.”

“Same,” added the older Cryomancer. “She’s _way_ out of your league.” 

Tomas couldn’t believe the audacity of his friends. “Fuck you guys!”

“We really don’t want to,” Bi-Han said, smiling widely at his friend’s reaction. The younger Cryomancer was trying hard to not laugh as Tomas walked over to his brother and kicked him on the shin. 

“Yeah, talk all that shit but let’s not forget about how Kung Lao almost beat the shit out of you last night,” the Enenra retorted, now walking back to the door to lean against it again. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask,” he said, once again looking at Kuai Liang with a curious expression. “Did you have a visitor in here last night? It _really_ smells like sex in here.”

“I said the same thing earlier,” Bi-Han said, rubbing his leg with a frown. Tomas had hit him on the shin pretty hard. “And of course he got all shy and shit.”

Kuai Liang frowned and pulled his hood up further in an attempt to cover the marks on his neck. Though he was surprised they hadn’t started roasting him yet, he didn’t appreciate them being in his personal business. Whatever occurred between him and Aya was between them and them alone. Glowering at them both, he said, “Why do I feel like you both woke up this morning and decided, ‘Hey! Let’s fuck with Kuai!’ or something?”

“I mean,” Bi-Han said, giving the Enenra a sidelong glance. “That’s usually the first thought that pops into my head whenever I remember you exist, sooo.”

“Honestly, it’s because we’re assholes,” Tomas said. “Also, Tabari said he saw some chick in a dark cloak sneak outta here at like five in the morning.” 

Kuai Liang’s eyes widened. _Of course Tabari’s nosy ass would say something about it. Might as well come clean…_

Bi-Han and Tomas were looking at him expectantly, as if waiting for the confirmation of Tomas and Tabari’s story. The younger Cryomancer blushed as he finally lowered his hood. He looked at them with an annoyed expression as he unzipped the jacket and shrugged it off in an attempt to wordlessly sate their curiosity. 

“Well, you got me,” Kuai Liang finally said, sarcastically gesturing at all the marks on his body. His neck and chest down to his stomach were covered in hickies ranging in hue, some of them darker than others. There were also a lot of scratch marks on his chest and back, too. “Aya was gone by the time I woke up.”

Tomas whistled in amusement at Kuai Liang’s reply. Quickly handing Bi-Han a sack of silver coins, he said, “Fucking hell, dude. You’re always winning.”

Bi-Han grinned, snatching the bag of coins from the Enenra. Kuai Liang frowned in confusion when he saw his brother casually kissing the bag of money. 

“Wait,” Kuai Liang finally said once Bi-Han pocketed his win. “Did you two fucks seriously place bets?" When he got no response, he rolled his eyes. "You guys are assholes.”

“Yeah,” Bi-Han admitted. “I already knew about you and Skarlet, but I didn’t think you’d have _two_ women in your bed within a twenty-four hour period.”

Kuai Liang raised an eyebrow as he put his hoodie back on. “I don’t get why you guys care so much about my sex life, but okay,” he said. 

The younger Cryomancer wasn’t at all surprised to learn that Bi-Han knew about Skarlet. Though he found the red-haired assassin very attractive, the truth was that there had been no emotion involved in their tryst. Skarlet had made it very clear that it was simply a one night stand. That was the only reason Kuai Liang was fine with pursuing it. 

“I don’t care at all,” Tomas countered. “If anything, I’m shocked.”

“Why?”

Before his younger brother could give a reply, Bi-Han cleared his throat. “Who cares?” he said, interrupting the dialogue once more. “Lil Tundra got laid and that’s all that matters.” Then he looked at his brother with a grin, leaning forward to clap him on the shoulder. “I’m proud of you, by the way.”

It bothered Kuai Liang to know that his brother and best friend were placing bets on his sex life, and he didn’t really see the point in such pettiness. However, he kept this opinion to himself, frowning as he chucked his pillow at his older brother. “Shut the hell up, Bi-Han.”

The older Cryomancer smirked as he caught the pillow. He dropped his legs from the desk and placed the pillow atop it. “ _Anyway_ , now that I’ve got my money,” he said, ignoring his brother and standing up to leave. “I’ll be at the tavern if you need me. Hopefully you won’t.”

When Bi-Han finally left and closed the door, Tomas took the chair and sat down. He grabbed the pillow and clutched it to his chest, looking at his best friend with a mischievous glimmer in his silver eyes. 

“So,” Tomas drawled. “Was it good?”

Kuai Liang brought his palm to his forehead, irritated at the question. Tiredly, he said, “Please stop, Tomas.”

While it was true that his best friend meant no harm, the Cryomancer honestly just wanted his privacy back. Part of him even wanted to ditch everyone and go on a hike near the Dead Woods, but he also didn’t have the energy. Kuai Liang removed his hand from his face and brought it back down onto his lap, looking up at the Enenra with sadness in his blue eyes.

Tomas noticed the change in his demeanor and instantly realized he’d fucked up. He should’ve known better than to assume that the reason Kuai Liang laughed and joked around was only because Bi-Han was in the room. The older Cryomancer _never_ liked it when he showed too much emotion. 

“...You really like her, don’t you?” asked the Enenra, softening his gaze as he looked at his best friend. 

Kuai Liang looked upset as he twiddled his thumbs on his lap. He glanced at the door, sighing. “I don’t know how I feel,” he admitted, falling backward onto the mattress with his hands over his face.

“That’s understandable. You’ve never loved a woman before,” Tomas added, trying to comfort the Cryomancer. He hadn’t realized that he had been developing feelings for the princess. When Kuai Liang and Aya had met in the Living Forest in 2008, Tomas hadn’t expected for there to be any chemistry between them. 

Kuai Liang dropped his arms to his side, staring at the ceiling as he thought about Tomas’ statement. It was true. He’d never been in love, and he wasn’t even sure if that’s what he was feeling. All he knew was that he felt like something was missing in his soul when he woke up and saw that Aya was already gone. 

“Even so, I do find myself even more curious about her now,” he finally said, raising a hand to play with his ice magic. Translucent crystals danced above his palm, barely hovering as he concentrated his energy. “I just don’t know how to go about asking her out on a formal date. She seems to want something casual, anyway.”

Tomas nodded in understanding, his lips formed into a thin line. He looked outside the small window at the front of the room and caught a glimpse of Princess Kitana walking past with Jade in tow. There was a part of him that wondered how the Edenian royal would take it upon finding out that her secret daughter had slept with a member of the Lin Kuei. 

“Perhaps time will tell,” Kuai Liang added, finishing his thought. He hadn’t noticed the mother of his recent lover walking past. “I don’t think she’d like me on a deeper level, though.”

The Enenra still looked out the window, thinking about his friend’s words. “I think you’re wrong, Kuai,” he said. He turned to face his best friend. “She’s fickle. Give her time and get to know her, and see where it goes. The worst that could happen is that you two end up becoming good friends. Maybe even allies.”

Kuai Liang now sat up in his bed and looked directly at Tomas. “Three years ago,” he started, narrowing his eyes, “you told me not to pursue her because it wasn’t worth it. What made you change your tune?”

Tomas didn’t know how to answer, but it was a good question. The only thing he knew was that he didn’t want his best friend to be sad anymore. Since the day his mother Seren had died, Kuai Liang had been miserable. He’d gradually withdrawn into himself over the years, even more so after the Heart-Thaw Accords. It was the biggest reason he always went out of his way to joke around with him. 

“Kuai, you’ve been depressed for years,” he finally replied. “I already know how you and emotions tend to dislike one another, and you’re not very convincing. Either way, I was wrong to tell you not to pursue her, and I’m sorry. That was your decision to make, not mine.”

The Cryomancer sighed, rubbing his forehead. He was starting to get another headache. “Meh, you were only trying to keep me out of trouble. Besides, I forgave you for that ages ago,” he said. “I only asked because you seemed adamant in me keeping my distance.”

“Clearly, I changed my mind,” Tomas replied. “I just really think Aya’s company would benefit you emotionally. Why not get to know each other?”

A solemn expression crossed the Cryomancer’s features as he looked at his friend. He knew it was a fair point. Aya seemed like the type of woman who would actually give a shit about him, but that was merely a first impression. If there was _anything_ Kuai Liang knew about first impressions, it’s that he was often wrong about them. Fact of the matter was that the princess’ behavior confused him. Specifically, it was the outburst she’d had when she showed up the night before that was hard for him to wrap his head around. Was she interested in him only sexually? Or did she also want something more and simply didn’t know how to ask for it? After all, the woman _did_ seem skittish.

“Aya seemed really upset at my lack of contact when she arrived last night,” Kuai Liang finally said. He told Tomas about how the princess acted exactly like how a girlfriend would, adding that her angry reaction and concern had caught him off-guard at the time. He finished his story by telling him that he wasn’t sure what to make of it. 

“Of course she was upset, Kuai,” replied the Enenra with an eye-roll. “Three years of no contact? That would have worried anyone in the civilian world, dude.”

Kuai Liang said nothing, rolling over onto his side and curling into himself. The temperature in the room started to decrease again, slowly but surely, and Tomas knew then that his friend wanted to be left alone, so he stood from his chair and walked to the door. Looking at the curled-up Cryomancer bundled under his blankets one last time as he opened the door to his room, the Enenra sighed. 

After all, even Tomas knew there would be no point in trying to help his best friend out of his funk. Kuai Liang would have to figure his feelings out on his own.

* * *

There had been a large feast that night, but the younger Cryomancer had opted not to go. He was still in his room thinking about Aya, having frozen the doorknob once again in an attempt to let others know not to disturb him. Fortunately, no one did. Nobody liked being around Kuai Liang when he got like this, and he honestly couldn’t blame them. 

_I really don’t know what the hell I’ve gotten myself into,_ he thought, staring at the ceiling. The lights in the barracks were shut off for the night, and the only light in the dark bedroom came from the fireflies outside the small window at the front of his room. 

He didn’t know if Aya would be interested in something more serious, especially as she’d offered herself to him as a casual sex partner. Part of him felt like he was moving way too fast, perhaps even following an ideal, but an even bigger part of him felt like it wasn’t worth the effort. 

_Fucking feelings, man. Why do they always have to get in the way of shit?_

All of the swirling emotions in his mind frightened him, threatening to unravel as the room got colder. It had been freezing all evening because of his sulking, and what made things worse was the fact that these were emotions Kuai Liang just _wasn’t_ used to. 

When he’d slept with Skarlet days prior to reuniting with Aya, he felt nothing. Sure, he’d gotten his release, but it just wasn’t the same. Knowing he had inadvertently gotten attached to the princess was terrifying for him, especially considering the fact that he was a man who’d only recently earned a reputation amongst the Lin Kuei for following his heart. 

The irony is that his heart was the _very_ thing that regularly got him into trouble.

Sighing, the Cryomancer flipped onto his stomach and closed his eyes once he was no longer facing the window. Tears started to slip from his eyes, freezing on his cheek before they could fall onto the pillow. He didn’t want to admit it, but he missed the princess and her presence. He missed her smile and especially her natural radiance.

_Elder Gods help me, Tomas is right._

Kuai Liang had to admit it to himself. He’d fallen in love with Aya, and it made him feel pathetic. He’d only seen this woman three times in his entire life, and yet he somehow got attached. 

He found himself thinking deeply again. This time, however, his thoughts took a more wistful note. Kuai Liang imagined a life in upstate New York. He’d never been there, not even for a Lin Kuei mission, but in his mind’s eye, there were plenty of rolling hills and mountains. It was far different from the flat, boring terrain of northeastern Illinois, but he nonetheless imagined himself with Aya, his friends, and a few unknown faces, enjoying life and all that it had to offer. 

_One day, I hope that’ll be my life,_ he thought, squinting his eyes shut. Still crying silently, he’d been sniffling into the blankets. The brooding Cryomancer was then caught off-guard by a glowing orb that looked eerily familiar. It was right in front of his face, dancing curiously as if it wanted him to follow it.

Quickly sitting up, Kuai Liang got out of his bed and followed the orb to the window. He recognized that orb from anywhere; it had been the same exact one that Aya had summoned the first time they’d met at the festival in Outworld. The Cryomancer followed it until he saw it slip underneath the door to his room. When the light vanished, a purple envelope with his name carefully printed on the front had been left behind. 

Nervously, he ripped open the envelope and pulled out the handwritten letter inside. The handwriting was very neat, a beautiful penmanship he hadn’t witnessed since he’d snuck off to the Art Institute of Chicago with Bi-Han to look at art. That had been several months ago, though. Kuai Liang slowly sat down on his crate, his heartbeat quickening as he realized the princess had been nearby the whole time. 

_Kuai Liang,_

_Revealing myself here on Shang Tsung’s Island would result in my own death, so please forgive my caution._ _My mother is also nearby, obviously helping with the tournament, and so far she’s been unable to detect me thanks to my ability to cloak my own magic. Luckily for us, my orb looks like one of the fireflies outside your window to the average onlooker. Only those I want knowing of my presence will see the orb in its true form, like you did._

The hand he held the letter with trembled as he continued to read it. His other hand gripped the edge of the crate he sat on. It warmed his soul to hear from Aya, and she’d surprised him yet again. Tears threatened to come out of Kuai Liang’s eyes once more as he continued to read Aya’s letter. This time, however, he noticed that for the first time in his life, his tears didn’t freeze. Instead, they fell onto the parchment. One of the teardrops that fell onto the letter ended up looking like a heart. 

_As for this letter, I wrote it because I couldn’t stop thinking of you after I left this morning. Speaking of which, I should apologize for leaving without a goodbye. You looked so calm while you slept that I didn’t want to wake you. When I managed to get out of your frozen embrace, you shifted and curled into your pillow thinking it was me. Please don’t be ashamed of this; I thought it was quite endearing. If anything, it only made me more curious about you. Perhaps one of these days when the coast is clear, we can meet again and actually get to know one another. Until that day comes, please be careful. There’s a lot at stake in Outworld at this very moment, and I don’t want you to get hurt._

_Another reason for this letter is because we obviously do not know one another very well. But I really felt like last night was special. I don’t know how to describe it, but you’re nothing like any of the lovers I’ve had in the past. Something about you radiates a type of purity I would_ never _have expected in an assassin, and somehow? I don’t know, but I think we’d get along. Then again, it could very well be wishful thinking on my part. I don’t want to assume you want something serious when we’ve never even had the conversation, since that wouldn’t be fair to you._

_I’m already saying too much, but I would very much like to join you on an adventure sometime. What would you say to that? If you’re interested, you can find me near The Pit. All you have to do is use the rune I’ve slipped into the envelope when you’re ready and ask the Moon Goddess of Edenia to light your path. She’ll lead you to me, and I promise she will protect you._

_Until we meet again,_

_~ A_

By the time Kuai Liang finished reading the letter, he was quietly sobbing. He held a fist over his mouth as he closed his eyes and held the letter close to his chest. He didn’t even understand _why_ he was crying, but he imagined it had something to do with the relief of knowing the princess he’d fallen in love with actually felt the same exact way. It relieved him to know that even though she’d originally wanted him for a casual sex partner, something about their tryst the night before made her want to know more of him beyond sex.

The rune inside the envelope was a beautiful sapphire that glowed pink in the center. As he held it in his hand, he thought about what he would say to Aya once they reconnected. He was glad to have a means to get a hold of her now, too, and when he went back to sleep, he found himself dreaming of a world in which her laughter illuminated the sky.


End file.
